Mindfulness practice allows us to strengthen the connections between the rational brain and the survival brain. By strengthening these connections, we strengthen our ability to respond more intentionally when we’re triggered. This is important. Because when we’re conditioned to slow down and observe, through a neutral lens, we’re able to to interrupt our anxious and our reactive cycles. We’re able to connect with our triggered parts, we’re able to find and work with emotion in the body, we’re able to process and release sensations, and we’re able to choose rather than reacting on auto-pilot.

Somatic therapy asks questions that traditional talk therapy doesn’t necessarily ask. Somatic therapy helps you gain connection, calm and clarity through body based intervention. Questions might focus on what sensations arise during the session when you discuss certain topics, what sensations might say if they could speak, how old you feel when you’re having certain emotional experiences, or how nature based or safe space visualizations impact how you feel in the body- just to name a few. This approach support nervous system regulation without the pressure of positive thinking. It allows the client to go deeper and to experientially learn how to process and release emotion from the body.

IFS (internal family systems) informed therapy says that you have no bad parts; no part of you that you react from is inherently bad (ex. anxious, perfectionist, people pleaser, overthinker, angry or even hateful). It says that we adapt to our stress and trauma and that parts are frozen in time, during which the stress or trauma occurred. We learn to react from our protective parts, and when we’re blended with them, we aren’t the calm, compassionate, confident, clear versions of ourselves, that we could be. But it also says that we inherently possess the 8 C’s of Self (calm, compassion, curiosity, clarity, creativity, confidence, courage, and connectedness) and by connecting with Self, we can unblend from protectors and unburden our systems so that we can live with greater emotional balance and operate with more intentional behavior. And let me just say… parts work is a total vibe.